Mike O'Connor
Tiffany Cromwell and Cameron Scott have claimed the elite titles at the 2026 Australian Gravel Championships after a weekend of rain-soaked, mud-filled racing at Mt Crawford in South Australia.
Cromwell successfully defended her elite women’s crown on Saturday, producing a dominant solo ride that saw her spend more than 100 kilometres off the front of the race. The South Australian crossed the line after 123km of racing with a commanding 20-minute advantage over her nearest rivals.
“(I’m) muddy, tired, but happy I can take the stripes for another year,” Cromwell said.
“I didn’t anticipate to spend that much time off the front but just kind of happened, and you know I was having to do all the work anyway so I thought, why not give it a crack.
“It was super hard conditions out there. It was just that it was getting muddier as the day went on.”
Flora Johnson secured the silver medal, with Tori Barry rounding out the podium.
The elite men’s race on Sunday proved equally demanding, with riders battling thick mud and deteriorating course conditions throughout the day.
South Australian Cameron Scott emerged as the last rider standing in what he described as an “elimination race”, securing his first Australian gravel championship title.
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect today with the conditions but it was just an elimination race. You know, guys slowly dropping off one by one,” Scott said.
“These guys had me on the climbs but I just had to measure my effort and come back on the descents and yeah, I think we were all pretty gassed there wasn’t many attacks in the end.
“I think we all backed our sprints and I just had enough to hang on for it.”
Brent Rees finished second, while Harry Bebbington claimed bronze.
Elite Results
| Women | Men |
|---|---|
| 🥇 Tiffany Cromwell | 🥇 Cameron Scott |
| 🥈 Flora Johnson | 🥈 Brent Rees |
| 🥉 Tori Barry | 🥉 Harry Bebbington |
The championships also saw national jerseys awarded across junior, masters and adaptive categories.
2026 Australian Gravel Champions
| Category | Champion |
|---|---|
| U17 Women | Alayla Schmid |
| U19 Women | Elise Harvey |
| Women Masters 2 | Brianna Samuhel |
| Women Masters 3 | Fiona Morris |
| Women Masters 4 | Kym Lynch |
| Women Masters 5 | Caroline Jackson |
| Women Masters 6 | Daniella Mollica |
| Women Masters 7 | Meredith Clark |
| Women Masters 8 | Gabrielle Howard |
| Women Masters 9 | Kay Haarsma |
| Adaptive Women | Madelene McNeil / Willowa Atkins |
| U17 Men | Thomas Brinkley |
| U19 Men | Hayden Vimpani |
| Men Masters 1 | Adrian Petersen |
| Men Masters 2 | Garry Millburn |
| Men Masters 3 | Jon Odams |
| Men Masters 4 | Christopher Miller |
| Men Masters 5 | Russell Van Hout |
| Men Masters 6 | David Evans |
| Men Masters 7 | Richard Walsh |
| Men Masters 8 | Michael Davies |
| Men Masters 9 | John Allison |
| Men Masters 10 | David Innes |
| Adaptive Men | Patrick Best |
Mike O’Connor – A keen cyclist, runner and photographer, Mike O’Connor is the Editor of Bicycling Australia. He manages the BA website and social media, and loves promoting the achievements of Australian cyclists.
